Method and die for trimming blanks.



n.' L. WlLcox.

MlET-HOD AND D15 FOR TRIMMING BLAN'KS.

APPLICATIQN FILED HB. 26. 191B,

" trimmed section, it4 will ,be understood" a that I mean a section of any shape `which has stenen 'ro 'rnn Warencomrnnr, orwn'rnnnunr, CONNECTICUT,

mn'rnon ann Din ron unir/ruine enanas.

iguanas.

Application med February ae, 191e. serial-no'. magi-7o.

.Toall whom it may concern: I `Be it lmown that I, RICHARD LESTER WIL- cox,l a citizen of the United States, and a resident 4of Waterbury, county of New State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in l A -Methods andDies' for '.lrimmlng Blanks, of

u Haven;

which the following isa specification.

, y invention relates -more especially to methods and dies by which a blank 4can be given a polygonalfcross section, such as .fthe

square, hexagonal or,l octagonal shapes fof bolt heads, nuts and thel-ike, ora manyl sided shape of any kind, such as a circulan section flat sides, as 'is `formed on shackle bolts and the like. .'It will be understood that byy polygonal or poly on I meananysuchshape. A'- blank may L so be .cut so as t-o have a circular section, and when I refer hereinafter -to a been cut or trimmed by the dies, either -en- .tirely around it or, on any particular portion. 5'

One ofthe objects of my invention,v among other-vs, is to give a trimmed Across section to a blank with an entirecutting ofthe metal and without time with a pressure. therefrom is the production -of a clean, Aufn'f' broken cut surface on the. blank.

tu minimum amount of cutting As the trimming of boltheads, nuts and tu the like has heretofore usually been-carried out, the blank is passed through a die hav-y Y ing a suitably shaped opening therein, in suehfa 'way that the, cutting edges of the die'enter the blank by cutting, for a short tu distance and then, the resistance tothe cut ting lpressure having been suiicientlyde-- creased, the remaining metal is' practically .torn from the blank,'leaving the faces of the blank -rough and in 'most'cases, with de-' i5 pressions below what should be the level of the face., Forsome classes of work, the bolts or nuts thus formed are undesirable because lof their unsightly and .unfinished appear` ance. Y

I have found 'that trimmed blanks with a very superior finish may be produced with a relatively small cutting pressure if 4the metal of the blank is cut away fromgeach end preferably until only a small portion of planishing vthe surface,- if desired.

for instance,

' blank of f step' 1n m additional if desired; .Fig 5l is .a partial front tearing it and atthe same' A desirable advantage resulting.

lthe uncut metal remains, and then cutting away lthis uncut portion and -subse have also found that the blank takes place simultaneously around the entire blank with cutsarranged-"so that Specification of Letters Patent'. Ptienmd Fh, 1189-1] QM gym 'i su uently l thev best results are' obtained 1f the cutting Vfrom opposite ends of the chpsfrom opposing cuts from opposite ends of the blanks are rolledtoward each generalmethod may bev di'erent ways, I havev other. While my carried outin many illustrated certain forms of--dies which I'l have found convenient for that purpose.

In' thel drawin s, Figure l represents in section a pair. o cutting dies arranged to carry out vmy novel method,togetherwith .supports for" such -dies and punches by which the operations of the method may be facilitated; y

Fig. 2 represents .a blank (in'this instance blank for a hexagon headed boltfwhich partly completed; and Fig. 3, the Fig. 2 afterV it has been completed; Fig.. 4 is a-seotion illustratinga further novel method,togetherwith an cutting step which maybe used has been .eievation and partial section ofthediel an its holder, illustrated at the left of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is the front elevation of another form of die which may be used in carryL ing out the methodherein described; and 1 F ig. 7 is a cross section on 'the line 7-7 of 3 6; ,lhgigs 8 and 9 illustratescale `'an arran planishing -surtacesg and on an enlarged en ement of cutting edges and` Fig. v10 is an enlarged cross section v through one form of' planishing die. a

vrI he corresponding parts are referred to boti In the drawings, 10 represents an illus, trativeform ofdie having an opening ll (hexagonal in this instance) therethrough and provided. with cutting -edges l2 formed by angular cuts lthrough the sides ofthe die, preferably in such. a manner as to form im in the'drawingsand specification by similar reference characters.

ieu

thecutting edges l2 so that each pair "of such edges 'will have posed angular rela tion to the direction o passing through the die, or, in other terms, having opposed angular relation to the axis of the die. Behind the die 1o is a pianisting device 14- having an opening 15 and a series of projections 16 around its upper- 16 in Fig. 5), but slightly nearer the axisA of the die.

The die 10 and planishing member 14 are held in a die holder 17 preferably provided with a pair of adjusting screws 18, 18 engaging with shoulders 19, 19 'on the die 10 so that the die 10 may be rotated in' the holder 17.

The holder 17 is connected to a support 20 into which is set a backing plate or member 21 having an opening 22 in continuation of the opening 15 of the planishing device 14. The support 20 is also provided with an opening 23 in continuation of the openings 22 and 15. Movable Within the openings 23, 22, 15 and 11 (by means not shown) 1s a bushing-24 having a stripper rod 25 located therein. The die 10 and planishing device are held in proper relation to each other by a doWel pin 44.

At the right of Fig. 1 is an illustrative form of die 30 similar in'many respects to the die 10. It is provided with an opening 31 and cutting edges 32 formed by angular cuts 33 so as to produce cutting edges angularly disposed to the line of travel of a blank passin into the die, or to the axis of the die. he cutting edges 32 and 12 are preferably parallel. Both of the openings 11 and 31 are given a slight taper to provide proper clearance for the cutting edges 12 and 32 respectively. Because of the angular relation of the cutting edges to the axes of the dies, the opening is shaped so that each part of each cutting edge is the correct distance from the axis of the die to form the desired sizel on the blank, regardless of the distance of that part of the cutting edge below the surface of the die.

The die 30 is held in a holder 34 which may be adjusted laterally by any suitable means, and also up and down by the adjusting screw 35. Movable in the opening 31.

, is a punch 36.

In carrying out my operation which will be described hereinafter, it is desirable that the dies 10 and 30 shall be alined so that the axes of the openings 11 and 31v shall coincide and so that the cutting edges 32 and 12 shall lie substantially in the same plane. The vertical and horizontal adjustments provided for the die 3() and the rotary adjustment of the die 10 enables this condition to be brought about. j

In carr \ing,rmt n. preferred method, a blank, as 36. haring a head 3T is placed between the two flies and the latter are moved tion wherein the free end thereof is adja cent to the front face of the die 10. When the dies 10 and 30 are in ysuch relative positions that each is in contact with the bottom and top of the head 37 respectively, the punch .36 will have been moved backward to the right of Fig. '1. Continued motion of the dies together or of one die toward the other will cause each set of cuttin edges 12 and 32 to cut into the metal of t ehead 37 and when the dies are in the relative positions shown in Fig. 4, all of the metal will lhave been cut from the faces except a small portion, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4. In makin these cuts, the chip from each cutting e ge will be forced toward its opposing cutting edge and there will be no breaking down of the resistance in the material which would cause a tearing of the metal.

Preferably the next step in my method consists of completing the cutting operation by forcing the blank through one of the dies after stopping the cutting from the opposite die. This may be done by bringing the punch 36 forward -or toward the left of Fig. 1. to vengage the blank and continue it on its direction through the opening 11. This will shear olf the remainin small portion of the metal. I have foun it desirable .just before this step, to move the dies slightly apart to remove the pressure against the two sides of the metal remaining on the blank, but this step is not essential.

It will be understood that the bushing 24 is moved backward so as to permit the blank to progress through the die 10.

If it is desired to give afhigh finish to the polygonal surfaces, this may be done in the same operation by providing the planishing device 14. The projections 16 of the planishing device are only slightly nearer the center of the blank than 4are the cutting edges 12 and by forcing the blank through these projections, the freshly, cut surfaces are ironed or smoothed out Iand polished.

The blank and the bushing 24 supporting it move to the left of .fFig 1 until the blank contacts with the stripper pin 25. Further motion of the bushing 24 will act to eject the blank from the bushing and cause it to drop through the opening 23 out of the machine. It will be understood, however, that if desired. the planishing operation may be omitted and also that the blank may` be returned to the right of Fig. 1 through the die 10 and dropped out on that side of the die.

ll somewhat nearer the center of the blank so that, as the blank is .tween the die All@ nllt

same results'may suitable tools by brought together l have also found it preferable, in some cases to form the opening 31 slightly larger than the opening 11. This has the effect of leaving a slight amount ofmetal on the faces 'as cut by the die 3Q and this slight amount of metal is trimmed olf as the blank is carried through the die 10 after the die has stopped cuttin Fig. le shows an arrangement which is essentially' the same as the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, except'thatthere is interposed bev10 and the planishing device 14 a supplemental cutter 40 which will usually have cutting edges formed on it similar to the cutting edges of the die 10 but forced past these supplementary cutting edges, an additional light shaving is taken off each face to size the head more accurately. If desirable this cutter 40 may have cutting edges to produce other shapes to the blank as formed by the edges 12 and forinstance, an edge to form a groove in one lockingdevice or the like.

In Fig. 6 is another illustrative form of, die which may be used instead of 4the dies 10 and 30. As illustrated, the angular cutting edges 41 are produced in a solid die 42 30 b so as to produce a pairof cutting edges for each face of the opening with one end of y angularI cuts 43 into the face of the die each edge in the surface of the die at the middle of one 0f the' sides of the polygon.

It will bev understood that the opposing d iet is similarly formed so that, when these dies are 'brought together, the metal is cut with a 'tl-shape chip on each face. The remain-y ing operation for completing the head will be the same as that lwhich l have just de-I lf desired,- the` cutting edges in' the form illustrated in Fig. 6 may be formed by making the cuts LlS-so that the middle of the cut comes between the ends of the faces insteadl of a-t the ends as shownin Fig. 6.

1While ll have shown in out automatically,'it will be clear that the which the dies may be and the blank pushed y.through the dies, in accordance with the method which I have described.

Preferably ll form all cutting edges of each die so that ea-ch adjacent'pair forms opposing angles with the direction of travel of the blank, but it will 'be understood that such an arrangement is notessential. Since practically all of the metal is removed simul taneously from each end of the blank by opposing c'uts, .it lwill be obvious that these opposing cuts on each face balance each other so far as any tendency to rotate the of the faces for use with a nut i Fig. 1 parts which v( )bviously inlay be mounted in `any suitable machine so that my method maybe carried be accomplished by any tween the trimmed faces on the blank is concerned, and that, therefore, it is immaterial what is the relation between the cutting operations on adjacent faces so far as prevention of rotation-of the blank is concerned.

-While I' find it preferable in carrying out my method to stop the cutting from opposite ends before the cutters have entirely removed all the metal, it will be obvious that, if the cutters are properly shaped and the method carriedout with great exactness,`the cutters could be brought together so as to remove completely'all of the metal by simultaneously cutting from opposite ends. Since these conditions are not readily obtainable, however, and since the provision of proper clearances for the chip will tend to weaken the cutting edges, I lprefer to stopthe cutting from the opposite ends before the cutters meet, as ll have previously described.

It-is obvious that the operation of forming the trimmed IblankY will lbe carriedl out Ill `more` quickly if all of the faces are cut simultaneously. It will be understood, however, that thisis not essential, since the faces could be cut one at a time, the. pressure of the opposing cutters for each face supporting eachother and preventing any sudden lreaking awayof the metal to tear the surace. f

While l find it preferable tocut each face simultaneously from opposite ends, many of the beneficial results of my novel method may be obtained even if each face is cut first in one direction and then in the oppo- 10U site direction.. Althoughthis- 'will not give the lopposing cutters the support which is obtained when simultaneous cutting takes' Y place, nevertheless it will cause the last metal to be removed from a tween the ends. More serious tearing of the metal occurs when the cut is carried to the end of a,surface than occurs if the cutting is completed somewhere between the ends'.

.I have shown the vpl'anishing device in lio Fig. lfat some distance from. the cutting edges 12, but it will be understood that such device could be brought directly behind. the edges 12, as' for instance, by projections on the Walls of the opening 11. 4

I'have found it advantageous, when using a planishing device in connection with my novel dies when cutting polygonal shapes, to slightly round the apex of the angles formed b y the adjacent cutting edges. The polyg- 12u onal shape cut with such a -die will not have the edge between adjacent faces sharplydelllllll .fned,`but such edges will be slightly rounded.

Then when the blank is passed through the occurs, the metal of the blank as Iit is smoothed or ironed out, will flow into* the sharp angle between adjacent surfaces of the device and this will leave a shar edge belilank, ln

portion of the face belut i shape when a solid scale, one form of rounding Figs. 8 and 9, I have illustrated on a large 121 between the cutting edges 12 of die 10 and the sharp angle 162 between the planishing surfaces of the planishing die 14. In Fig. l0 I have illustrated on a large scale, a preferred planishing surface is used. A narrow flat vsurface 161 is formed to do the actual planishing, land the die is cut away in curves on both sides of the surface 161.

1. The method of giving a trimmed crosssection to a blank, consisting of cuttingthe blank from opposite ends thereof a distance sufficient to leave a portion of uncut metal `on the blank between the ends thereof, the line of eachcut making an acute angle with the direction of cutting, and then cutting away the uncut ortion.

j 2. The metho of giving a trimmed cross.l section to a blank, consisting of cutting the -blank from opposite ends thereof a distance suflicient to leave ayportion of uncut metal on the blank between the ends thereof, the line of each cut making an acute angle with the direction of cutting, and being substantially parallel with the line 'ofa cut from the opposite end of the'blank, and then cutI ting away the uncut portion.

3. The method of giving a section to a blank, consisting of cutting the blank from opposite ends thereof a distance suiicient toleave a portion of uncut metal on the blank between the ends thereof, the vcuts from one end being deeper than those from the opposite end, and continuing the deeper cut to the end of the blank.

4. The method of giving a trimmed cross section to afblank, consisting of cutting the blank from opposite ends-thereof a distance 'sufficient to leave a portion of uncut metal on the blank between the ends thereof, the cuts from one end being deeper than those from the opposite end and continuing the deeper cut to the end of the blank, and then taking a thin cut over each face..

5. The method of giving a trimmed cross section to a blank, consisting of cutting from opposite ends of the blank, with cuts having cutting lines making angles with the direcp tion of cutting and with the cutting lines of the opposing cuts substantially parallel.

6. The method of giving a trimmed cross section to a blank, consisting of cutting the blank so as to leave rounded surfaces connecting adjacent cut faces' of the blank and then planishing the .cut surfaces so as to cause the material thereof to iowso as to smooth the surfaces and to form sharp lines of division between adjacent faces.

7 A Iirstdie having an opening therein with a series of cutting edges around its periphery, each cutting edge making an angle with the `axis of the opening.a second die having an opening therein with a series of cutting edges around its periphery, each cutting edge making an angle with the axis of the opening, the dies being positioned relatively to each other so that the cutting edges of the pair of dies are toward each other with the openings in alincment.

8. Avfirst die having an opening therein with a series of cutting edges around its periphery, each cutting edge making an angle with the axis of the opening, a second die having an openingtherein with a series of cutting edges around its periphery, each of the cuttin edges forming an angle with the axis of lt e opening, the dies beinof constructed and. arranged and positioned relatively so that the openings are in alincment with each other with the cutting edges of the pair of dies toward each other and with the cutting edges of the second die substantially parallel with the opposing cutting edges of an angle with the axis of the opening, 4the trimmed cross' cutting. edges of one of said dies being slightly nearer the axis of the openings than the opposing cutting edges of the other of said dies and the openings being in alinement.

10. A first die having an openingl therein with a series of cutting edges aroundl its periphery, each cutting edge making an angle with the axis of the opening, a second die having an opening therein with 'a series of cutting edges around its periphery, each of the .cutting edges forming an angle with the axis of the opening, the dies being constructed and arranged and positioned relatively so that the o enings are in alincment with each other wit the cutting edges of the palr of dies toward each other, and a planishing'device adjacent the cutting edges of one of the dies, constructed and arranged to planish' the surfaces produced by the cutting edges of the dies.

11. A first die having an opening therein with a series of cutting edges around its periphery, each cutting edge making an angle with the axis of the opening, and

some of the adjoining cutting edges forming angles with each other, a second lie having an opening therein with a serieS of cutting edges arou'nd its periphery, each of the cutting edges forming an angle with the axis of the opening, the dies being constructed and arranged and positioned relatively so that the openings are in alincment with each other with the cutting edges of the pair of dies toward each other.

` Lacasse 12. A first die having an opening therein with a series of cutting edges around its periphery, each cutting edge making an angle with the axis of the opening, a second die having an opening therein with a series of cutting edges around its periphery, each of the cutting edges forming an angle with the axis of the opening, the dies being constructed and arranged and positioned relatively so that the openings are in alinement with each other with the cutting edges of the pair of dies towardeach other,`a third die having an opening' in alinement with the openings in the first and second dies and adjacent the end of one of the dies and provided with cutting edges arranged to cut the blank after the blank has been cut by the first and second dies.

13. A first die having an opening therein with a series of cutting edges around its periphery, each cutting yedge making an angle with the axis ofthe open-ing, a second die havingan opening therein with a series o; cutting edges around its periphery, each o the aXis of the opening, the dies being constructed and arranged and positioned relatively so that the openings are in alinement with each other with the cutting edges of the pair' of dies toward each other, a third die having an opening in alinement with the first and second dies and adjacent the end of one of the'dies and providedwith cutting edges arranged to take a cut over the surfaces produced by the cutting edges of the first and -second dies, and a planishing device adjacent the end lof the third die away from the cutting edges, constructed and arranged. to planish the surfaces produced by the cutting edges.

14. A pair of similar solid dies each having a flat face and a polygonal opening therein, and a series of cutting edges formed on the edges of the opening, each of the cutting edges making anangle with the face of the die and each cutting edge forming one'boun'dary of a surface below the face `of the die, the surface being angularly disposed tothe face ofthe die, the diesl being arranged with la common laxis with their similar ycutting edges and the surfaces con.

taining them parallel and facing each other. 15. A die having a polygonal opening i therein with a series of cutting edges around angle wlthl the its periphery,' each cutting edge making an axis of the opening and each cutting edge having a small vcurve at either end joining each adjacent cutting edge'and a planishing devi-ce adjacent. the die and the cutting edges forming an angle with j llltl a blank cut by the cutting edges of the die, each planishing surface meeting each adjacent planishing surface at a sharp ang e.

'16. A die having a plurality of cutting edges arranged around an axis to form a polygon with a small cutting curve between the ends of each adjacent pair of cutting edges and a planishing device adjacentthe die and having planishing surfaces an ranged to smooth out and iron each/of the faces of a blank cut by the cutting edges of the die, each planishing surface meeting eacl adjacent planishing surface at a sharp ang e. i

17. A die having a plurality of cutting edges arranged to cut a polygonal cross section on a blank passed through the die and a planishing device adjacent the die and in .alinement therewith v'and constructed and arranged to smooth and iron the faces on the blank cut by the cutting" edges.

`18. A die having a plurality of cutting edges arranged to cut a polygonalcross section on a blank passed through the die and a planishin'gdevice adjacent the die and having anbpening therein with planishing surfaces around the opening, each parallel to one of the sides of the polygonal opening through the die and constructed and arranged to smooth and iron the surface of the blank cut by that edge.V

19. `A die having a 'plurality of cutting 4edges arranged to.1 cut a polygonal cross section on a blank, with adjacent faces of the blank connected by a curved surface of small radius, and a planishing device adjacent the die and in alfinement therewith and having planishing surfacesconstructed and arranged to smooth and iron the sur faces of the blank and to force the metal `thereof to flow to form sharp lines of divi'- lsion between the faces.

'20. A pair of dies each'I having an opening therethrough-with cutting edges formtiti etl y ing the periphery of one yend of each ofthe i openings, and the dies being positioned with the base of the first die against the top of the second die and with the openings in alinement and with each cutting edgeof the first die in substantially the same plane with a cutting edge of the second die, the second die having sloping recesses in its top surface extending from its cutting edges to the ex'teriorof the dies.x

lllti 

